By Austin Ridge, co–owner of Dogwood Hops & Crops (Downtown Winston-Salem)
My favorite season for beer is fall and my favorite beer is Oktoberfest/Märzen.
What is Oktoberfest/Märzen?
Way before refrigeration, it was hard to brew beer in the summer due to hot weather and bacterial infections. Brewing typically ended in the beginning of spring and began again in the fall. Most beers were brewed in March (Märzen). These brews were kept in cold storage through the warmer months, to be ready to drink for fall.
Oktoberfest/Märzen is a full-bodied, toasty, rich beer with mild hops and a light to dark copper color.
Mother Earth Brewing in Kinston NC has their Märzen called Festbier. It’s a malt-forward German style beer offers hints of toast with a spicy hop and black tea note. Come and try it out on Draft at Dogwood Hops and Crops.